


These days

by DreamDrop



Series: The bodyguard and his protégé [8]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: (really unusual for me), Auguste's a good brother, Heartbreak, M/M, No Fluff, Relationship Crisis, it's sad, mentions of relationship counseling, prompt, relationship troubles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27388018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamDrop/pseuds/DreamDrop
Summary: "You know I'll always be there for you. You can always come home to me, you know that, don't you? Nicaise is at the university. Nothing holds you back if you want to come to Arles, you know that, don't you, Laurent?"He knew that, but he had always assumed that Damen would be the thing to keep him in Marlas.
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Series: The bodyguard and his protégé [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1834633
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41





	These days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [valarmorghulis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/valarmorghulis/gifts).



> Hello my dear readers.  
> I won't spout a lot of nonsense here, just have fun and let me know what you thought.  
> Warning: IT'S NOT FLUFFY!!! (as requested by valarmorghulis xD I hope you like it. I tried my best :P I finally completed the last of your prompts, sorry it took so long.)  
> Stay healthy and safe you all :)

Laurent stared at the door. Somehow, his brain thought that if he stared enough, Damianos would walk through it. He knew it was stupid. At least this time the man had had the decency to write him a message to cancel dinner. Not that it excused him entirely from their monthly date night, but last month he just didn't show up and then apologized later on.

The blond man stood and sighed. He had just come back from a business trip that had lasted two weeks this morning and he was exhausted. It was now eleven PM and Damianos was still not home. He had no intention of waiting up any longer.

A deep resignation spread through him. It hurt, it hurt very much indeed, but he wouldn't wait forever. If Damen couldn't prioritize relationship, then so be it. Laurent had a demanding job too and he always held fast to their islands of relationship time. He never cancelled, he was always on time and he was never distracted from his partner.

Damen, however, wasn't the same. He made Laurent feel, as if he didn't care. He acted as if he wouldn't mind if they just gave up on the whole endeavor and that was what Laurent couldn't bear anymore.

They had to talk and as much as he loathed it, as much as he adored Damen and as lucky as he felt, that the other man gave their relationship a chance, he knew that if Damen didn't change, he would have to walk away. Laurent wasn't made for this casual disregard in a relationship. He didn't have enough distraction to overlook it completely and fall into the same pattern and while his job was very demanding, he needed the people in his life to care about him and his needs. At least as much as he cared for them and their needs.

He wouldn't invest all his energy in something with no future. Not even for a relationship of six years. He was almost 30 and he didn't intend on sitting back and watch Damen wreak havoc in their relationship.

It might hurt but it was 1000 times better than allowing the wound to fester and poison him entirely.

Sleep came slowly and it didn't help that Laurent avoided their shared bedroom and slept in one of the guest rooms. The room smelled wrong, the sheets didn't feel right and the light of the moon fell into the room completely wrong. The angle was awkward, and Laurent turned and tossed until dawn, when he finally drifted off. Damen hadn't returned.

The next morning, he felt as if someone had the hangover of the century. His head hurt, his throat felt like the desert and everything swam before his eyes. Clumsily he shrugged in his robe, before tying the cloth closed at the front.

He staggered down to the kitchen, setting the kettle on. He needed tea, lots of tea. And he needed Auguste. He decided to try his luck and call him. Chances were 70% that Jokaste would pick up, but she loved him and would redirect him to his older brother without question.

However, today was his lucky day and Auguste picked up.

"Baby brother? Everything alright?" The man sounded worried and that, more than anything, caused Laurent to bite his lip while the tears welled up in his eyes.

He was angry with himself. He needed to get a grip on himself. He wasn't 16 anymore and although Damen actually WAS his teenage crush, he wouldn't cry over spilled milk. It made no sense and he wouldn't allow himself to be silly.

"No. Not really." At least his voice sounded somewhat normal.

"What happened?"

"Damen canceled yesterday's dinner." He couldn't bring himself to explain more. Auguste would have to figure it out himself. His brother never had any trouble with that, and Laurent seriously hoped he wouldn't start with it now.

"Oh, little brother, I'm so sorry." Indeed, Auguste sounded as if he knew exactly what Laurent was thinking right then. His voice a soothing balm on Laurent's broken heart. He prepared his tea and sat down at the kitchen island. The morning sun streamed in through the windows of the manor. It was beautiful. And Laurent couldn't even appreciate it.

"Me too."

"Did you already talk to him? Maybe it was a family emergency."

"For the last three months in a row? But no, I didn't talk to him yet. He's not home I think and if he is, he's still asleep." Laurent dragged his fingers through his hair. Damen loved to do that. Maybe he would never do it again. Gods, the thought hurt.

"You know I'll always be there for you. You can always come home to me, you know that, don't you? Nicaise is at the university. Nothing holds you back if you want to come to Arles, you know that, don't you, Laurent?"

He knew that, but he had always assumed that _Damen_ would be the thing to keep him in Marlas.

"Yes. I know. Thank you, Auguste. I'll call you later. I love you."

* * *

Damen knew he had fucked up. He knew it and he dreaded going home. Laurent would kill him.

“I don’t wanna go home,” he whined into Kashel’s shoulder.

The woman chuckled. “It will get worse the longer you wait.”

“I know. But I really messed up, Kashel. Laurent just came home from a business trip and I wasn’t home. I don’t even have a good reason for that.”

“Do you still love him?”

“Yes!” He was shocked that she would ask him that. “How can you ask me that?”

“Well, it’s not the first time you neglected him in the last months. I just thought you might have lost interest. You are never this careless with the people you love.” She stared at his face, a serious expression in her eyes.

Damen pulled back as if burned. “I love him more than myself.”

“They why are you still here? Shouldn’t you go home and grovel before his feet?” She raised an eyebrow in question. He scrambled up from his seat and ran almost to his car without saying goodbye.

When he entered the manor, Laurent was nowhere to be seen. He searched the whole manor. Laurent was not to be found. Only when he stood before the bathroom, did he hear the low music. He pushed the door open.

Laurent lay in the bathtub, classic music and candles surrounding him. He had his eyes closed, one hand dangling over the edge of the tub.

“You came home.” His voice carried a strain. It was the only sign that the man was disturbed.

“Yes. Laurent-“

“No. Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. You were gone for almost two days. I don’t want to hear your apologies.” The blond man still had his eyes closed. It was as if he didn’t want to care anymore.

Damen stood there. Not knowing what to do. “Still. I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not. Otherwise you would have been here. I’m obviously not your priority anymore and I don’t intend on letting this continue.” Laurent stood up. He was beautiful, breathtaking and Damen felt his heart break at the thought that he had no right to touch him anymore.

“Where were you?” Laurent started drying himself off and Damen couldn’t avoid the thought that this might be the last time he ever saw that beautiful man naked. Laurent’s calm reaction clued him in on the fact that his boyfriend had already decided on the next course of action.

“I was with Kashel.”

Laurent’s eyes snapped up to his face. He didn’t like that and it was evident. Damen wanted to wince and if he hadn’t known that this would make everything even worse, he would have done it.

“And?”

“Nothing. She broke up with her girlfriend and needed a friend. We drank and then I stayed for lunch and somehow after that I didn’t dare to come home immediately.”

It was the wrong thing to say. Laurent sneered.

“Oh poor darling. Am I that bad a person that you’re afraid of coming home? Gods, I would have preferred if you told me _before_ staying away for days.” His voice was still calm but his eyes were everything but.

“No. That’s not what I meant. I just… I know I messed up.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

“That’s not what bothers me, Damianos.”

Laurent walked past him, but Damen couldn’t let him leave like that. He griped his arm and Laurent hissed like a wild cat.

“Unhand me immediately.”

Damen let go as if he had been burned. “Please, don’t leave me.”

Laurent stared at him. Long and hard. It made Damen squirm. “Why shouldn’t I? You’ve given me no reason to stay for the last half year. I tried everything and I’m tired of it.”

It broke Damen’s heart but he deserved it. Only now did he reflect on his own actions. The last months weren’t perfect, that’s true. He had spent a lot of time away from Laurent, he had canceled on his boyfriend and he hadn’t invested anything in their relationship.

* * *

“I tried to talk to you, I tried to listen to you, I tried to be at home more, I tried to be less cold, I don’t look at my phone every time we have a conversation. And honestly, I don’t know what I should do now, Damen. I’m just so tired. It kills me and I won’t do this anymore. If you really want to salvage our relationship, we need counseling. I can’t overcome this by myself. I would get mean and petty.” It was true and Laurent didn’t want to argue now. The bone deep sadness weighed him down, for months now, and he didn’t have the energy to get angry anymore.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, please. I will do everything. But please don’t leave me. I love you. I can’t-”

Laurent started to dress and he knew the exact moment when Damen saw the suitcases.

“I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye but I’ll go visit Auguste in Arles. The private jet’s ready to leave in two hours. I’ll take Pallas and Lazar with me.”

“Laurent, please don’t.”

“Damen, you have to let me go. I can’t make things right, not right now. I just need time. You hurt me badly and I can’t be rational and in control over my emotions. I need some distance.” He tried to be the mature one here. He seriously gave his best but he felt his heart break in his chest. The chocked feeling in his throat didn’t help him stay calm and collected.

Damen stared at him as if someone had pulled out the carpet from under his feet. Laurent couldn’t cave now. He would regret it because he knew how he could be. He could held grudges like no one else and he could be mean and unfair if he was hurting. He didn’t want to destroy the last sliver of hope they still had left.

“I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Then think about what you wanted and what you want in the future. I deserve better and so do you if we are honest. Let me go now. I can’t stand to see you at the moment and I don’t want to blow up on you.”

“Laurent, just know that I love you.” Damen looked desperate. His shoulders were slumped and he had tears in his eyes.

“Sometimes love isn’t enough, Damianos. I will call you.” What meant as much as, don’t try to contact me first and they both knew it.

Laurent gathered his suitcases and left the Maison without a look back. Pallas and Lazar by his side.


End file.
